The project targets to develop a massive data storage system able to operate within a network. It must provide the following characteristics:

1. The system will be built using commodity hardware and open-source software, in order to reduce the production and maintenance costs. The system is directed to medium and small companies.

2. The system shall be able to grow up in an ordered way, as well as to store several terabytes of information.

3. It aims to provide a storing facility for big – sized files (films, data, music, security copies files) requiring sequential and sporadic access.

4. The latency times (waiting time before accessing the beginning of the file) are not critical –they may last for some seconds, approximately the same time as in a hierarchical storage system based on tapes.

5. It must support several types of remote access to files by means of standard (SMS, AAFS) or newly developed systems (GASS of Globus or VoDKA).

6. It shall be able of partly controlling the global electric consumption of the system, turning on and off the non-necessary resources.

The system aims to fulfil the requirements of companies or organisations needing big amounts of on – line (between 2 an 10 terabytes low-cost (less than 6000 euros per TB) storage, such as on demand video distributors, radios, local televisions or companies providing security copies services.

The work will be jointly developed by the University of A Coruña and CESGA as a co-ordinated project divided into two subprojects:

Subproject 1. University of A Coruña.

It will design and implement the prototype of a server with N storage. Additionally, it will develop the control software and adaptation front – end (SMB, AFS, GASS, VoDKA) according to the specifications.

Subproject 2. CESGA.

Jointly with the University of A Coruña it will make the specifications of the storage platform, according to the current requirements of scientific and industrial applications. It will also select and adapt one or more applications in order to benchmark the system, as well as to test it in real. Finally, it will make a comparative study of the operating costs of the system, on regard to other storage held at CESGA.

Main researcher UDC: José Luis Freire
Main researcher CESGA: Carlos Fernández